Newport Chartists Vol.5, p.25

Description

25
James Daily - I am Serjeant in the 45th Regiment doing duty at Newport-
I was ordered by Captain Stack on Monday the 4th November 1839
at a little after 8 o'Clock to proceed with a party consisting in all of
two Serjeants and 28 Privates under the Command of Lieut Gray
to the Town of Newport where we had halted in front of the Westgate
Hotel. We remained there a few minutes when we was ordered to
march to the rear of the Hotel, where we formed in the Court Yard
and immediately shut the Gate after us. Lieut Gray lef[t] the Command
of the party to me, while the Mayor and him consulted which
would be the best position for the party which was done in a few
minutes he returned immediately and ordered me to follow him
which I did, he took me into a large room on the right of the Hotel
and told me that the party was to remain there until further
instructions he immediately marched the party in and formed them
in line in the room mentioned and immediately closed the Shutters
so as we would not be exposed to the public, there was only one
window in the room which had three projecting Bows Lieutt Gray
left me in charge of the window, so as the Men would not open the
Shutters to expose them to the view of the people, he ordered some
of the Men to clear every thing out of the Room except a large Table
that stood in the centre, Lieut Gray was in the act of giving
the Men some necessary instructions when we heard Cheering,
the Mayor came into the room and told Lieut Gray that there
were a very large Mob approaching - they formed in front of the
Hotel and commenced firing in at the Windows, there was five
or six Shots, Balls and Slugs came into the Room where our Men
was stationed and demolished numbers of the Squares that was
in the Window of our room, Lieut Gray immediately with a loud
voice gave Orders to load, the Mayor, Lieut Gray and me immediately
pulled open the Shutters - while we were doing this, a number of the
Mob rushed against the front door and burst it open - as soon as the
window Shutters was thrown open and exposed us to their view they turned the
whole of their fire on us - I received 6 Slugs in the head - and the Mayor got
wounded in two places, our men immediately commenced firing in every
direction thro' the Window into the Street and also thro' the Passage that led to
our room as a number of the Mob had entered the front door and